India's first privately developed orbital rocket, Vikram-1, blasted off into space on Saturday, a milestone Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed as 'opening new frontiers and accelerating innovation.'

The South Asian nation becomes the third after the US and China to achieve this feat, following a surge of investment in the space sector since the pandemic and the creation of over 400 startups.

The rocket lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Sriharikota island, north of Chennai. The launch, dubbed 'Mission Aagaman' (Hindi for 'arrival'), took place at 0635 UTC.

Skyroot Aerospace, the company behind the launch, confirmed the successful completion of the test flight. Vikram-1 is about 22 meters tall and can carry payloads of up to 350 kilograms into low-Earth orbit.

The rocket carries several experimental payloads, including a lab-grown diamond and robotic arms capable of removing space debris. The mission aims to test propulsion, avionics, and guidance systems while gathering data for future commercial launches.

Modi congratulated the team, calling it a 'defining moment in India's space journey' and noting that private sector participation is accelerating innovation.

India opened its space sector to private investment in 2020. The government aims to grow its share of the global space economy fivefold from the current 2%, targeting $44 billion by 2033.

Skyroot, based in Hyderabad, became the first Indian space startup to achieve a $1 billion valuation earlier this year. Meanwhile, ISRO expressed concern about scientists leaving the state agency for the private sector.

Source: www.dw.com